Closing and reenforcing ring unit



ATTORNEY Feb. 22, 1938. R. s. RHEEM CLOSING vAND REENFORCINGV RING UNITFiled April 8, 1935 Patented Feb. 22, i193 CLOSHNG AND REIENFRCING RINGUNET Richard S. Rheem, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Rheem ManufacturingCompany, a corporation of @alifornia Application April 8, 1935, SerialNo. 15,222 2 Claims. (ill. 22061) The invention relates to a means ofclamping a cover or head to a steel container or drum, and vrelates moreparticularly to armeans of this character generally designed for usewith having fullremovable inwardly offset heads. Means of the characterdescribed usually include a split ring which is employed to clamptogether peripheral iianges on the head and drum. Generally the ring isformed concave on its inner side, or the.

drums having bodies and heads of relatively heavy gauge metal.

An object of the present invention is to make feasible the use of suchclamping rings in connection with drums of relatively light gaugematerial.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in connectionwiththering, which will not only make practical the use of said type ofclamping device, butr will provide a reenforcement for the drum andrender same particularly eiective in resisting collapse and opening ofthe parts at the joint between the head and body.

In addition to the above, the invention possesses other objects andyfeatures of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be setforth in the following description of the preferred form ofthe inventionwhich is illustrated in the'drawing accompanying and forming part of thespecication. It is to be understood, however, that variations in theshowing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted withinthe scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figurell is a fragmentary vetical sectional view 4of a full removablehead drum showing the head operatively heid in position on the drumbody.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through the drum on theline 2-2 of Figure 1 parts being shown in elevation.

As shown in the drawing, the drum comprises a body 3 having side walls 4provided at an open end with an outwardly extending rolled edge orbead 1. For closing the open end is a cover 8 which is here shownco-extensive with the opening and provides for the drum a full-removablehead. The cover or head is formed at its periphery with an outwardlyextending flange 9 which is arranged to overlie the bead l of the drumbody and cooperate ltl'ierewith in holding. between the bead and flangea gasket iii. The head. 8, as illustrated, is of the depressed type,that is, the body portion i2 thereof is sunken below the flangedperiphery Si so that when the head is operatively positioned on the drumthe portion i2 will lie inwardly of the adjacent end of the drum.Desirably the portion i3 of the head which extends angularly between thebody portion i2 and the flange 9, is arranged tdt for the greater partof its length against the inner surface of the drum wall.

For clamping the head in place on the drum, there is provided aremovable contractiblc split ring ld which is arranged at the outerperiphery of the bead and flange and designed to embrace the bead andflange so as to force them together and compress the gaskettherebetween. The ring, which may be of any suitable design andconstruction, is here shown as formed concave on 0f its inner side intransverse section, and in order to facilitate the ready drawing of theflange and bead together when the ring is contracted thereabout, theflange 9 on its upper side and the bead 'l on its' underside, as viewedin Figure l, are curved outwardly in opposed directions. The split endsof the ring are secured together after being forcibly contracted to drawthe flange and bead together, and while the ends may be secured in anysuitable manner, I here show for such purpose a tongue I6 preferablyformed integral with the ring at one end and arranged for insertion andreleasable retention in an opening Il provided in the other end of thering. The ring is usually formed of steel of relatively heavy gaugesince considerable force is applied thereto in bringing and holding theflange and bead together.

As before explained one of the principal objects of my invention is tomake practical the use of the clamping means described for drums formedof relatively thin and easily collapsing material such as light gaugesheet metal. A typical example of drums formed of such light gaugematerial is found in my pending application Serial No. 759,821 where itis proposed to form a drum of say iifty gallon capacity with walls madeof only twenty-four to twenty-eight gauge sheet steel. These drums,while provided with a heavy jacket for shipping, are required to becapable of withstanding at leasta four foot drop when full and with thejackets removed. It will be seen that in order to keep the head sealedto the drum body under such conditions, the clamping ring must becontracted in position with great force, and it has been found that toattempt to apply the ring to effecting a proper joint and seal.

' and the consequent deformation of the parts at the joint when the thinmaterial of the head becomes subject to the strains set up when the drumis -dropped as aforesaid. 'I'he novelty of the present applicationresides for the most part in the provision of simple and effective meansincorporated as a part of the joint between the head and drum body, forinsuring the sealing of the parts duringr the ring contraction andrendering the head and joint capable to a maximum degree of resistingdeformation and rupture under severest conditions. The foregoing meansin the present form of the invention comprises an auxiliary ring I8which is arranged to coact withv the ring I4 and with the adjacentportions of the head and drum body, completely around the drum. The ringI8, incontrast to the ring Il, is

closed, that is, formed continuousthroughout its4 entire length, and aswill be clear from Figure 1,

is arranged for removable positioning on the outer or exposed side' ofthe head. Desirably the ring I8 conforms to the shape of the portion ofthe head engaged thereby and extends substantially from the freeextremity of the flange to a point on the portion I3 at or almost to thebody portion I2 of the head. 'I'he ring I8 is formed of relatively heavymetal stock and in this manner provides a comparatively inflexiblebacking for the head over the entire area subjected to the contractingpressure of the clamping ring. Obviously, while the ring I8 provides adirect backing for the head; it in effect performs the same function forthe drum body wall. As will also be clear from Figure 1, the clampingring I4 is arranged to engage the backing ring rather than the flange ofthe head, thus not only avoiding any danger of mutilation of the latterduringthe contracting and joining operation, buty enabling a moreintimate cooperation between since the backing ring I8 is at leastcoextensive with the clamping ring axially of the drum, all of theinward for'ce exerted by the clamping ring will Abe directly assumed bythe backing ring and therefore no portion of the head or drum wall canbe deformed a s a result of such force. i Furthermore, owing to 'thefact that the inner end of the ring I8 reaches practically to the bodyportion I2 of the head, the latter will be prevented/ from being forcedoutward notwithstanding relatively high internal pressures in the drum.It is also important to note that by reason of the tight grip and largeareas of interengagement between the backing ring and the angularportion I3 of the head, the bacldng ring'will not only provide increasedresistance of the joined portions to collapse, but will assist theclamping ring materially in resisting axial displacement orseparation'of the head as a=whole from the drum body. Of importance isalso the fact that any deformities produced in the head while removedfrom the drum, are readily eliminated on the subsequent insertion of thebacking ring in the head and the closing action of the clamping ring.

I claim: y

v1. .The combination with a drum body having a peripheral outwardlyrolled extension at an open end and a removable head having a peripheralextension for cooperation with said body extension and an oifset portionwith its sides arranged to fit against the inner sides of vthe drum 2.'I'he combination with a drum body having a peripheral outwardly rolledextension at an open end and a removable head having a peripheralextension for cooperation with said bodyextension and an offset portionwith its sides arranged to i'lt against lthe inner sides of the,

drum walls, a sealing element positioned between said peripheralextensions, a continuous backing ring of relatively strong constructioninsertible and fitting Within said sides "of the head so asto beembraced 'thereby and having a radial strengthening flange extendingover the peripheral extension of said head, and a clamping ringengageable with 4said ange and drum extension to draw and hold the samein sealing relation. RICHARD S. RI-IEEM.

